Girls Basketball: Warriors ready to fight for postseason berth

With the Warriors off to a 3-2 start, L-S girls basketball coach Steve Connelly sees a team that is coming together rapidly.

By Dan Cagen/Crier Sports Correspondent

If the Lincoln-Sudbury girls basketball team was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Steve Connelly would channel his inner Gordon Gekko.

"If this team is a stock," the L-S coach said, "I would buy it."

At the beginning of the season, Connelly saw a wide range of outcomes for the Warriors this season, anywhere from six to 16 wins. With 10 wins likely the number needed for postseason qualification, that meant L-S was no lock to make the playoffs this season.

But with the Warriors off to a 3-2 start thorough Jan. 8, Connelly sees a team that is coming together rapidly.

"I think this particular team is very tough," Connelly said. "I think they have the ability to be more aggressive, maybe a little more resilient. I think maybe we have some skill sets that we're putting together that's a different kind of a recipe. We're playing great defense. That's when I'm at my happiest is when we're playing great defense. We simplified some things and asked them to be great at other things, and they've done that."

L-S isn't playing the up-tempo pressing and zone defense that Connelly usually emphasizes. Instead, the Warriors are playing to their strengths, which is an inside game that few teams in the Dual County League can match.

"We're having some success scoring from more places," Connelly said. "We have great shooters.Gracie Bilbie is a great shooter. We have great inside players in Sofia (Rosa) and Hannah Brodsky. We're getting better play from our guards who are managing the game as they play the game. We're scoring a lot of points and we are still looking to break on people when we can.

"But I think the difference is, this year, we have two girls (in Rosa and Brodsky) who can control the backboards. We get a lot of rebounds. I can play 5-on-4 and release someone to fast break because Sofia and Hannah are going to get the majority of the rebounds. Hannah has been an amazing contributor. She can score; she can rebound. It's great to see her healthy. You know what you'll get with Sofia and some of the other kids, but it's such a joy to see for her. She is a difference-maker."

L-S had a light schedule in the first month of the season. Many teams choose to load up on games during the Christmas break and play in holiday tournaments. Connelly takes a different strategy. He gives his team some time off and allows them to enjoy some family time, then comes back with practice time.

The Warriors came out of their holiday break last season and played strong basketball in the new year. Connelly sees no reason this year's team can't repeat the trick.

"I've told them, I want them to emulate Marvin Hagler. Outwork you, out-tough you, out-train you," Connelly said. "He was just a fighter. These guys have the opportunity to play basketball with the same kind of grit because he was not the talent and certainly not the flashiest and certainly didn't get much of the attention; but no one wanted to fight Marvin Hagler."